Sonia tears into Modi

Setting the tone for the Lok Sabha elections next year, the AICC Plenary on Saturday gave a clarion call to all like-minded parties to evolve a "common workable programme" to oust the BJP from power.

Addressing the 84th All India Congress Committee (AICC) Plenary here, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of being "drunk on power" and using every trick of the trade to destroy the Congress party.

"But the Congress has never and will never bow down to the arrogance of power," Sonia said, asking party workers to set aside differences and personal ambitions to unite under the leadership of the new president Rahul Gandhi.

She accused the prime minister of indulging in "dramebazi" to grab votes and power and said that the Congress party was at the forefront in exposing with evidence the false promises and claims, fraud and corruption of Modi and his associates.

In his brief opening remarks, Rahul Gandhi said crores of youth of the country were tired and find no way out when they look towards Modi.

"They do not understand where they will get employment. When will the farmers get the right price? The country is tired and searching for a way out. And I can say from my heart, only the Congress party can show the way," 47-year-old Rahul said amid cries of "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad".

The political resolution, moved by senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge and seconded by Rajeev Satav, said the Congress will adopt a "pragmatic approach" for cooperation with all like-minded parties and evolve a common workable programme to defeat the BJP-RSS in the 2019 elections.The humiliating defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent electoral reverses had dampened the spirits of the Congress workers and several leaders urged them to shun the despondency and gear up to fight the Modi government.

"Half the battle is lost if you do not believe in yourself," Kharge said.

"Revolution will not come if we sit silently. For that, we will have to sweat it out day and night," Sachin Pilot, the Rajasthan Congress president, said speaking on the political resolution.

However, Sonia expressed confidence that a good performance in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections would mark the revival of the Congress.